PLUSINNO Kids Fishing Pole Review: a simple all‑in‑one kit that actually gets kids on the water

I picked up the PLUSINNO Kids Fishing Pole kit in blue (150 cm / about 5 ft) to get my kids out on the water without handing them my heavier adult rods. I wasn’t expecting much because most kids’ combos I’ve seen are basically plastic toys that barely cast. This one sits in that middle zone: clearly made for kids, but it behaves more like a real light‑duty rod and reel.

We used it over a couple of weekends at a small lake and a local pond. Ages involved: one 6‑year‑old, one 9‑year‑old, plus me grabbing it here and there to see what it could really do. We were targeting small bass and bluegill, nothing huge. The kit comes with the telescopic rod, a spincast reel already spooled with mono, a small tackle selection, and a carry bag. So in theory you can go straight from the box to the water.

In practice, that’s almost true, but not totally. Kids can’t just open this and figure it out alone. There are no real instructions for the tackle, and an adult still needs to set up hooks, weights, and show them how the spincast button works. Once that’s done though, they can cast on their own pretty quickly. My 6‑year‑old was getting decent casts within about 20 minutes of practice.

Overall first impression: it’s a pretty solid starter kit for casual family fishing. It’s not perfect, and you can feel it’s built to a price, but it’s miles better than the super cheap cartoon‑themed rods. If you expect a light, kid‑friendly combo that gets the job done and fits in a small bag, that’s exactly what you’re getting here.

Price‑wise, this PLUSINNO kids kit lands in that sweet spot: not bargain‑bin cheap, but still affordable enough that you’re not scared to hand it to a 5‑year‑old. For the money, you get: a usable telescopic rod, a functional spincast reel already spooled with line, a small tackle assortment, and a carry bag. If you tried to piece all that together separately, you’d likely spend more and still have to think about compatibility and storage.

The big value point is convenience. For a parent or grandparent who doesn’t want to research rod lengths, reel types, and line strength, this lets you skip the headache. You buy one box, you have what you need for basic pond or lake fishing with kids. You will probably still add a pack of simple hooks and a few extra bobbers, but that’s cheap. And the bag means the whole setup doesn’t get scattered all over the garage, which is a quiet bonus.

Could you get a slightly better rod and reel by buying them separately? Yes. But then you’re in a different budget and you lose the kid‑friendly, all‑together kit aspect. For an adult who fishes a lot, this is more of a backup rod to keep in the car. For kids and beginners, it’s good value for money because it’s ready to go and does the basic job well.

If your kid ends up loving fishing and wants to go every weekend, you might eventually upgrade them to a better combo. But as a first step to see if they even like fishing, this is a sensible spend: not too expensive, but not so cheap that it’s unusable. On that balance, the value is strong.

Design‑wise, PLUSINNO kept things pretty simple, which I actually liked. The blue color is bright enough that kids think it’s cool, but it doesn’t scream “toy” like some cartoon‑covered rods do. The telescopic sections slide out and lock with a light twist, and when collapsed it’s short enough to fit easily in the car or in a closet without taking up space. For apartment or small‑garage people, that matters more than you’d think.

The spincast reel is a good choice for kids. One button to cast, no bail arm to worry about, and fewer tangles than with a cheap spinning reel. My 6‑year‑old got the hang of “press button, swing, release” a lot faster than with an open‑face reel. The handle is sized for smaller hands, and the right‑hand orientation is standard. If your kid is left‑handed, they can still manage, but it’s not ideal.

The handle grip is rubbery and doesn’t feel slippery when wet, which is nice because kids are constantly dipping their hands in the water or messing with bait. The rod action is light and flexible, so they can feel a bit of a tug even from small bluegill, which keeps them interested. At the same time, it’s not so stiff that they’re yanking hooks out of fish mouths every time they set the hook.

On the downside, some parts clearly feel budget: the reel body is mostly plastic, and the telescopic joints don’t slide with the smoothness you get on more expensive rods. You have to show the kids not to yank or twist too hard when extending or collapsing it. But for the price and the target age range, the design is pretty sensible: easy to carry, easy to understand, and not overloaded with useless gadgets.

The rod and reel are mainly ABS plastic, regular plastic, and some rubber on the handle. Nothing fancy, but that’s normal at this price point and for a kids’ combo. The upside of all that plastic is weight: the whole setup is very light, which is perfect for 3–10 year olds. My kids were able to carry the bag, hold the rod out for a while, and cast repeatedly without getting tired in five minutes.

The blank (the main rod body) feels like a typical light‑power telescopic rod. It has enough flex to handle small bass and panfish, but I wouldn’t trust it for anything huge. We caught a couple of small bass and a decent‑sized bluegill with zero issues. Under load, the rod bends nicely and doesn’t make you feel like it’s about to snap, but you can tell it’s not built for big, aggressive fish.

The reel housing and button are where you really feel the low‑cost plastic. It works, but it doesn’t give that solid click or smoothness you get from better reels. The line that comes pre‑spooled is basic monofilament; it’s fine for kids starting out, but if you want fewer tangles and slightly better casting, you might re‑spool it with a fresh 4–6 lb mono after a season. The line capacity (4–6 lb, about 100 yards) is more than enough for ponds and small lakes.

Overall, the materials are exactly what you’d expect: functional but nothing special. If your kid drops it on the dock, gets sand on it, or bangs it on the side of the boat, it survives. Just don’t expect it to feel like a high‑end combo. The focus here is low weight and kid proofing, not premium metal parts.

Kids are rough on gear, so I paid attention to how this setup handled being dragged, dropped, and generally mistreated. Over a few outings, the rod sections stayed intact and didn’t start wobbling or refusing to collapse, which is usually the first failure point on cheap telescopic rods. As long as you remind the kids not to force it when extending or collapsing, it should last at least a couple of seasons of casual use.

The reel survived a couple of drops on concrete and a bit of sand. I had to rinse it lightly and wipe it down, but it didn’t seize up or get crunchy. That said, you can tell the plastic shell would not love years of hard use. This is more of a “summer and weekend” rod than something you’d fish with heavily every week for years. The handle knob stayed tight, and the button still works fine after repeated casts.

The carry bag actually adds to the durability because it keeps the rod protected when not in use. My kids threw the bag around the trunk, stacked other stuff on top of it, and nothing broke. The Velcro straps inside do their job holding the rod in place. Zippers are basic but didn’t jam or split during our use. I’d still tell kids not to overstuff it with extra heavy gear, but for the included kit plus a small extra box of hooks, it’s fine.

So overall durability: pretty solid for a kids’ combo at this price, but don’t expect miracles. If you have a very destructive kid who likes to slam things or step on rods, nothing will survive that. For normal family use, this should comfortably last through a couple of seasons and probably be passed down to a younger sibling in decent shape.

Performance is where this thing surprised me a bit. Most kids’ rods I’ve tried either cast terribly or tangle constantly. With this PLUSINNO combo, casting distance is decent for a short, light rod. My 9‑year‑old was consistently reaching 20–30 feet with a small bobber and worm without putting much effort in. The 6‑year‑old’s casts were shorter, but that was more technique than gear.

The spincast reel worked smoothly enough. The button press is light, so kids don’t struggle to hold it down while swinging. We had a couple of minor tangles when they forgot to release the button, but that’s just part of the learning curve. Compared to some cheap department‑store spincast reels I’ve seen, this one behaves better and doesn’t bird’s nest every other cast. The drag is simple, but for small bass and bluegill it’s fine. We didn’t hook anything big enough to really test the limits.

In terms of bite detection and fight, the light‑power rod does its job. Kids could actually feel the nibbles, and when they hooked a fish, the rod bent nicely without being a wet noodle. For small pond fishing, that’s exactly what you want. We landed several fish without any sign of the rod or reel struggling. The pre‑spooled line held up, though I’d keep an eye on it after a season or two for nicks and memory.

Where performance drops a bit is with the included tackle. Some of the plastic lures are more gimmick than useful, at least for simple kid fishing. We had the most success just using basic hooks, a small split shot, and a bobber with live bait. So yes, the kit catches fish, but mostly because the rod and reel are competent. The tackle is okay as a starter mix, but I wouldn’t rely on it for serious variety.

The main thing with this product is the all‑in‑one aspect. In the bag you get: a telescopic rod (about 5 ft for this version), a right‑handed spincast reel pre‑spooled with monofilament line, a small plastic tackle box with assorted lures, hooks and bits, and the zippered carry bag that holds everything. Weight‑wise, the whole thing is light enough for a young kid to carry without whining after five minutes.

The rod collapses down short enough to fit in the included bag, which is actually handy for throwing it in the trunk or even a backpack. The bag itself isn’t fancy, but it has enough compartments and straps to keep the rod, reel, and small tackle box from rattling around too much. For a kid, the fact that “their whole fishing set” lives in one bag makes it easier: they grab the blue bag, and they’re ready.

Content of the tackle box is a bit random. You get some plastic baits, a couple of bobbers, swivels, and hooks. It’s enough to start, but it’s not some curated pro selection. If you’re used to simple worm‑and‑bobber fishing, you’ll probably end up ignoring half the little lures inside and just using a hook, a small split shot, and a float. Also, as mentioned in one of the Amazon reviews, there are basically no real instructions for how to rig each thing, so a complete beginner adult will need to look up a quick YouTube video.

So in terms of presentation: it’s straightforward and honest. It really is a full kit, but think of it as a solid base that you’ll probably tweak. The rod and reel are the stars; the tackle is more of a starter pack to get you going, not something you’ll rely on long‑term.